A State Department cable sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates late last week said that U.S. diplomats could ask their Iranian counterparts to attend the festivities, which generally feature speeches about American values, fireworks, hot dogs and hamburgers.

Two very quick questions. Don't many hot dogs contain pork? That might be a bit of an issue for our guests. There is a solution, of course -- you could serve an all-beef hot dog. But probably not these ones.

8 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Mark, yes, we live in a democracy, and that matters. So I grant that this survey has significance. But I wiould still rather stand with General Petraeus on this. This weekend, he called for the closure of Gitmo in an interview on Fox News.

Direct quote: "What I do support is what has been termed the responsible closure of Gitmo. Gitmo has caused us problems, there's no question about it. I oversee a region in which the existence of Gitmo has been used by the enemy against us. We have not been without missteps or mistakes in our activity since 9/11 and again Gitmo is a lingering reminder for the use of some in that regard... I don't think we should be afraid of our values we're fighting for, what we stand for."

I think he might no a little more about this than most Americans...but maybe that's elitist. Why should Senior military officers know more than the man in the street about fighting wars?

What I do support is what has been termed the responsible closure of Gitmo.

Bet we could all get behind a "responsible" closure of Gitmo, Rich. But what do we do with the prisoners? Gen. Petraeus may have an answer on that one, but we haven't heard it yet. And the "man in the street" isn't being unreasonable in worrying about the disposition of these individuals, no? In fact, one might argue that opposing the closure of Gitmo until a "responsible" plan is in place is a "responsible" way of looking at the matter.

Mark, it just so happens that he did address that. From later in his speech:

"So one has to have some faith, I think, in the legal system. One has to have a degree of confidence that individuals that have conducted such extremist activity would indeed be found guilty in our courts of law. When we have taken steps that have violated the Geneva Conventions, we rightly have been criticized, so as we move forward I think it's important to again live our values, to live the agreements that we have made in the international justice arena and to practice those."

I can't find it on the Fox website anymore, but here is the link from Crooks and Liars:

it just so happens that he did address that. From later in his speech:

"So one has to have some faith, I think, in the legal system. One has to have a degree of confidence that individuals that have conducted such extremist activity would indeed be found guilty in our courts of law. When we have taken steps that have violated the Geneva Conventions, we rightly have been criticized, so as we move forward I think it's important to again live our values, to live the agreements that we have made in the international justice arena and to practice those."

Er, that doesn't address the issue at all. The issue that concerns most Americans is where do we house these people? Do you want them in Chicago? Do you want to set them free? Or is there some magic place in the "international justice arena" that can take them?

I'm glad that Gen. Petraeus is earning his Strange New Respect bona fides on the port side, but the port side will not move public opinion until it produces a plan that says exactly what will become of those who are currently at Gitmo.